. >> even though we've been through this, i go back to the debt ceiling issue, and can you tell me what would happen if congress did not raise the debt ceiling, and if that would make it such a dangerous option for going forward. >> i think our credit rating would go down, and how would we pay the bills? how would we pay social security? how would we pay veterans? >> [inaudible] >> no. the republicans are saying pick and choose. let's have a vote here. which ones would we pick? which ones would not occur right away? i mean, the president was right to say, in my judgment, to the republicans, don't do it, you're playing with fire. >> i don't understand that, i guess. >> why what? >> why are they playing with fire? what would happen? >> those are two different questions. i think the republicans have some idea of what would happen. we've been through this with the credit rating. i think the sense is they know what would happen until they say let's pick and choose. by the way, they have not said which they would pick and which would be left, and the president made clear we're not talking abo